- Video shows a ride along with one of two newly appointed police sergeant for the Delano Police Department.
- A ceremony was held Tuesday October 10, celebrating 10 new positions that are set to continue bringing positive impacts to the city.
- Sergeant Jose Madrigal says he is looking forward to make more connections with the community and assist with their concerns first hand.
The city of Delano recently celebrated 10 new promotions coming to the Delano Police Department (DPD). Newly appointed Sergeant Jose Madrigal has been a part of the force for years now and says this new title will help him achieve his goals of making the city a safer and more welcoming community.
Madrigal has been with the department for 18 years and says he's experienced firsthand the good and bad that Delano has to offer. He added that he feels blessed knowing that his new position will allow him to have a greater impact on the community.
"Being a prior military, I think all that comes into me putting out or being a good leader," said Madrigal.
Madrigal says the growth of the city led to these promotions. With Delano now being the second largest city in Kern County, the former corporal says the promotions allow for more in-station support and make room for new hires.
"They get the leadership, they get the unit cohesion, and in the past I've acted as a police sergeant, so I have the experience, I've supervised our gang unit in the past,” said Madrigal.
One of the sergeant's main concerns is the city’s rapid growth and how that will affect current residents. He says the DPD has always dealt with fluctuating crime rates but associates that to the lack of officers. With these new promotions, Madrigal says he is hoping to see those numbers drop.
"I'm here in my own city doing what I love to do and I think the emotion and empathy I get from the community as a whole I think just that mixture of everything and our admin staff knows what they get out of it," said Madrigal.
Madrigal says it is the connection that makes him hopeful for a brighter future -- and he thinks that it's not far away. "If I show my compassion to the community, the officers that I'm supervising will see that and will follow in my footsteps,” stated Madrigal.
He emphasized that his idea isn't to change the way he works with the public but to expand on his past experiences to create a stronger bond with the community.
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